The present invention relates to epoxy resin compositions and more particularly, to epoxy resin compositions capable of hardening at or below room temperature including temperatures as low as about 5.degree. C.
Epoxy resins have been known and used commercially for some time and these resins have been described in detail in numerous publications and prior patents. Epoxy resins are known to produce a number of valuable products, and particularly in the coating arts, the epoxy resins are known to produce infusible, insoluble coatings or films which when properly cured, exhibit desirable properties such as toughness, thermal stability, and the like. The curing agents for such epoxy resins, however, have been found to leave something to be desired. Some of the curing agents taught in the prior art have been found to react too rapidly and thus have such a short "pot life" that the handling of the .alpha.-epoxy resins prior to hardening is considerably difficult. Still other curing or hardening agents provide objectionable results which include undesirably slow curing, low impact resistance, brittleness, inability to cure or harden an epoxy resin under humid conditions, on wet or oily surfaces as well as on surfaces submerged under water.